BoatsFarr Phase 4

Farr Phase 4

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 1988

A Bruce Farr-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a fin keel, bulb, and spade rudder

Designed by Bruce Farr, built by Binks Yacht Contructions.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Farr Phase 4, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from 59° North Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 21 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 21
CoastalBluewater

2.11 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.11
LightHeavy

172 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 172
EasygoingPowered-up

18.4 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.4
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

What the fleet has seen

The Farr Phase 4, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Farr PHASE 4 is a 12.0-meter masthead sloop designed by Bruce Farr and built by Binks Yacht Constructions from 1988 to the present. It features a fin keel with a bulb and a spade rudder, has a beam of 3.8 meters, a draft of 1.7 meters, and displaces 5908 kg. Its sail area to displacement ratio is 18.4, and it has a comfort ratio of 20.5. Andy Schell of 59° North Sailing considers a sail-area-to-displacement ratio between 17 and 19 to be a "sweet spot" for offshore sailing, suggesting the Farr PHASE 4 falls within this range.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 36 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Farr Phase 4 on video

Matt Rutherford // Far North of RussiaMatt Rutherford navigates his Valiant 42 through the Arctic, managing satellite communications and ice hazards near Russia.59° North SailingWill Sofrin // The Nazi Origins of the USCG EAGLEEagle's engine room was built as an exact U-boat replica so German cadets could transfer directly to submarine service.59° North SailingJimmy Cornell // The Godfather of Offshore CruisingJimmy Cornell, founder of the ARC Rally in 1986, discusses his new offline route-planning app replacing World Cruising Routes.59° North SailingGunnar Christensen // From Yacht Captain to Golden Globe SailorCareer yacht captain Gunnar Kristiansen explains his Hans Christian 34 choice for the Golden Globe Race.59° North SailingConrad Humphries // Captain Bligh & Rounding Cape HornConrad Humphreys on breaking a rudder in the Vendée Globe and leading the Captain Bligh re-enactment voyage.59° North SailingBen Doerr // "Hose it or Lose it!"A fisherman's blunt advice — "hose it or lose it" — saved a boat from an electrical engine fire in Alaska.59° North SailingJoJo Pickering // Celestial Navigation Nerd-OutAndy Schell navigated BVI to Bermuda purely on celestial, avoiding the island's northern reef on approach.59° North SailingBoat Shopping LIVE! With Andy & AugustAndy Schell and August Sandberg evaluate a $35,000 Ted Brewer custom one-off against Craigslist listing red flags.59° North SailingMia & Andy // 2025 Year-In-Review (Only 3 Months Late!)Falcon sailed 18,404 miles across 30 passages in 2025, a single-year record for 59 North.59° North SailingBen Soofer // Making a career in sailingBen Soofer traces his path from Camp Seagull Lightnings to NOLS Sea of Cortez expeditions.59° North SailingFrancesca Clapcich // The 1st Italian to Win The Ocean RaceFrancesca Clapcich describes her 2028 Vendée Globe campaign aboard Malizia III and how she became the first Italian to win The Ocean Race.59° North SailingAri Huusela // First Finn to Finish the Vendée GlobeAri Huusela recounts his experience as the first Nordic skipper to finish the solo Vendée Globe race.59° North Sailing

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
37.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.4
Displacement / length
171.8
Comfort ratio
20.5
Capsize screening
2.11
Hull speed
7.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1430
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1988
Designer
Bruce Farr
Builder
Binks Yacht Contructions

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 39i11.86 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed fractional sloop balancing a 2.0-meter draft with a spacious beam for efficient coastal cruising
Off-Grid Sailboat Tour | Jeanneau Sun Odyssey (39i)4:36from Stella Overboard
Tartan Marine 39512.04 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2019 production performance cruiser featuring a spade rudder and a 1.88-metre draft for balanced coastal handling
Which Boats Are Easy to Sail? 7 Features That Matter10:12from Practical Sailor
Comfortina 3911.85 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 2007 fractional sloop with a 2.0-metre draft and a 10.88-metre waterline designed for offshore stability
Comfortina 391:29from SVN solovelanet
Cal Boats 4011.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA legendary offshore racer with 160 built, featuring a light displacement and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
The Brutal Truth About Cruising on a Budget & Surviving Storms at Sea8:01from Be The Captain
Beneteau Oceanis 4012.15 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA spacious fractional sloop from Berret-Racoupeau featuring a versatile optional shallow draft keel
He almost went home alone… nothing went as planned… Vlog 1220:49from Vagabond Voyages
Beneteau 4012.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2007 Berret-Racoupeau design with a 1.9m draft, also marketed internationally as the Oceanis 40 and Moorings 41.3
Deadpool & Wolverine Buy a SailGP Team?!9:46from The Sailing Doodles Podcast

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Farr 1020A Bruce Farr design #121 fractional sloop built for performance with a high sail area-to-displacement ratioFarr 400A high-performance fractional sloop by Bruce Farr featuring a lifting keel and a high sail area-to-displacement ratioFarr 7500A 1979 trailerable fractional sloop with a 1.8-metre draft, designed for agile handling in a light 1,150kg packageFarr 395A high-performance fractional sloop by Bruce Farr featuring a light displacement and aggressive sail area for competitive racingFarr 40 One-DesignA Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop built for pure one-design racing with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Farr Phase 4, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Farr Phase 4

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